Ribbon spool



13962 H. J. BlEDlN-GER ErAL 3,

RIBBON SPOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 52. 1959 fF'IGJI FIG. 3

KRCI O T F N o EW uh M@ 5m HC M ATTORNEY 3,065,838 RIBBON SPOOL Henry J.Biedinger and Carl J. Kuckhotf, Syracuse, N.Y., assngnors to TheSyracuse Stamping ompany, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of NewYork Filed Apr. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 803,617 1 Claim. (Cl. 197-175) Thisinvention relates to typewriter ribbon spools and the like, and moreparticularly to a molded spool formed of plastic, and the provision ofribbon end attachment means in the form of adapters.

Ribbon spools of the type referred to have been made from sheet metalstampings, usually comprising separate formed flanges, coupled togetherthrough a drum stamping. Such spools are costly, require a finish toprevent corrosion, and are subject to various limitations resulting fromthe sheet metal constituents.

The present invention is directed to the provision of molded plasticspools, wherein the flanges and drum are a unitary structure. Suchspools require in association with the drum, a means for readilyattaching a ribbon end. Such means in the spools formed of sheet metalare readily formed integral with the metal, and generally comprise sharpbarbs, loops, or transverse tongues, depending upon whether the ribbonis adapted to be attached to the drum by directly piercing the fabricthereof, or through means of a hook on the ribbon end, or in some casesa ribbon end loop. Such barbs, loops or tongues are not readily molded,and if molded would be of insufficient structural strength due to thenature of the plastic or other material employed. The invention is thusdirected to providing in a molded spool a secure means of adequatestrength, in the form of an adapter, which adapter will form a part ofthe spool and provide secure means for ribbon attachment.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear morefully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understoodthat the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and arenot designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, referencebeing had for this purpose to the appended claim.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a spool having an adapter appliedthereto;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, partly in section of the spool of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the adapter to be applied to the spoolof FIGURE 3 in the manner shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of the barb ofFIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8-45of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view of a modified spool and adapter;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional View taken on the line 10l0 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIGURES 9 and 10;

FIGURE 12 is an elevational view of a further modified spool andadapter, with parts of the spool broken away;

' United States Patent 0" 3,065,838 Patented Nov. 27, 1962 FIGURE 13 isa perspective fragmentary view of the spool of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 15 is an elevational view of a further modified form of spool andadapter;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective fragmentary view of the spool of FIGURE 15;and

FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIGURE 15.

Referring to FIGURES 1-8 inclusive there is shown a reel and adapter fortypewriter ribbons and the like. The reel 2% may be of molded plastic orother suitable composition, and comprises a hollow hub 22, of generallycylindrical form, and integral side flanges 24 and 26. In order toprovide certain means for securing the end of the inked ribbon to thespool, an adapter 28 is provided. Such adapter may be formed of springsteel or other elastic material, and be substantially semi-cylindricalin form, the actual arcuate length of the adapter being somewhat greaterthan 180.

The spool hub is provided with elemental grooves 30 and 32 disposedangularly by a distance somewhat greater than 180, and such grooves areadapted to receive inwardly formed key flanges, 34 and 36 at either endof the adapter. The adapter preferably will be formed with an internalradius slightly less than that of the drum exterior diameter, and thekey flanges 34 and 36 will be so disposed, as to be snapped or sprunginto the grooves 30 and 32, by forcing the adapter upon the spool drum,to the position, as shown in FIGURE 2 where it will snugly embrace thehub 22.

The adapter is provided with various means for anchoring a ribbon end,such as a transverse tongue 38, to receive a loop end of a ribbon, or araised strap 49, to receive an end hook of a ribbon, or a barb 42,adapted to pierce the fabric of the ribbon end. Since the adapter may besprung in place upon the reel hub, facing in either direction, one barbas shown will suflice. The tongue 38, bridge or strap 40, and barb 42may be struck from the metal of the adapter, and will be so formed as toleave a substantial portion of the metal along the marginal arcuateedges of the adapter intact to assure adequate resilient strength in theadapter.

In FIGURES 9, l0 and 11, a somewhat different form of adapter 50 isshown wherein the semi-circular spring material is provided with notchedopenings 52 and 54 adjacent its opposite ends, the circumferentialspacing between the notches being about 180 or more. Such notchedopenings are adapted to be snapped over and embrace bosses 56 and 58molded in the hub face 6% of the reel 62. If desired, the reel hub ordrum face 60, may have a reduced diameter area 64 to receive theadapter, the reduction in diameter being sufficient to cooperate withthe adapter so that the balance of the hub as at 6-6 will be flush withor have a uniform radius with the exterior of the adapter as shown at68.

The adapter 50 may have one or more barbs 7t and 72 struck upwardly inits face, to attach to a ribbon end as by piercing the fabric. Ifdesired, a single barb, or a strap or hook, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 8may be provided, depending on the type or types of ribbons to beaccommodated, or the adapter may be made to universally accommodate thevarious types of ribbons, in the manner of the adapter of FIGURE 4.

In FIGURES 12, 13 and 14, the reel 81 is provided with opposed notchesor recesses and 82 in the inside faces of the flanges 84 and 86 in orderto receive the opposed lugs 88 and 90 of the adapter 92. Such adaptermay be provided with barbs 92 and 94, oppositely facing, one or theother being adapted to pierce the fabric of the ribbon end, according tothe direction of winding rota-' tion of the reel when put to use.

The insert form of adapter 92, may be stamped with the lug ends 96 and98 bent about 30 to 45 from the plane of the central portion 100, topermit the assembly of the adapter upon the spool, it being understoodthat the spacing between the lug ends, when so bent, will approximatethe inside spacing between the spool flanges, or only such greaterspacing, as will still permit the insert to be placed in initialposition, with one lug or the other lug partially projected into one orthe other of the notches or recesses 80 or 82. Thereafter, the insert,While the lug ends are aligned with the opposite recesses 80 and 82, maybe flattened and deformed to expand the spacing between the lugs, so asto project the lugs securely into the apertures and lock the adapter inplace, with the opposite shoulders such as 102 preferably abuttingagainst the inside walls of the spool flanges.

In the form shown in FIGURES 15, 16 and 17, the adapter 108 is made withT head ends 110, 112, joined by a somewhat narrower arcuate body portion114. The T head ends are adapted to interlock with opposite arcuateshoulders 116 and 118 formed in the corners between the drum 120 andside flanges 122 and 124 of the reel, the arcuate shoulders being of anarcuate length to conform to the arcuate distance along the body portion114 of the adapter between the T head ends referred to. In practice thearcuate length of the shoulders will preferably exceed 180. Any suitableribbon fastening means such as the barbs 126 and 128 may be employed.

In practice it will be appreciated that if the spools are symmetricalabout a center plane transverse to the spool axis, a barb facing in onedirection only need be employed, since the spool may be inverted toprovide for a change in direction of reeling. On the other hand theadapter with a single barb, may be sprung in place with the barb facingin the desired direction. It will also appear that once the ribbon iswound upon the adapter, the tension of the ribbon will assist in holdingthe adapter in position, although it is contemplated in the forms shownin FIGURES 18, 9-11 and -17 that the resilience of the adapter material,and its arcuate length exceeding 180 will adequately provide secureattachment.

In any of the forms shown in FIGURES 1, l3 and 16, the spool drum may bereduced in diameter over an area corresponding with the shape of theadapter, so that the exterior surface of the adapter will beapproximately cylindrically flush with the remainder of the drumsurface. The semi-cylindrical adapter in each case will preferably bemade of resilient material and of a curvature slightly less than thecurvature of the drum, whereby the adapter can easily be snapped inplace, and once so positioned will remain locked in place, unlessremoved by spreading, as by some mechanical spreading instrument.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a plastic spool, economical ofmanufacture, is provided with suitable ribbon engaging means through theexpedient of the adapter, which is a relatively low cost stamping. Itwill be appreciated that a plastic tongue, or barb formed integral withthe plastic spool, is both expensive to form, and in general lacks thestrength necessary to assure against fracture.

While several embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedthereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will beapparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to theappended claim for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

An inked ribbon spool comprising a hub and integral side flanges, saidhub having a substantially cylindrical exterior surface, an adapterformed of resilient sheet metal overlying a circumferential portion ofsaid hub of a circumferential length greater than said adapter having areduced axial width intermediate its circumferential end to providekeying means and interengaging complemental keying means on said spoolhub comprising arcuate shoulders extending around the hub and disposedconjointly on either end thereof and on the internal faces of saidflanges and integral attachment means for securing a ribbon end struckfrom said adapter, said adapter having an internal radius and curvature,when removed from the hub slightly less than the radius of the hub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS401,856 Ray Apr. 23, 1889 928,001 OConnor July 13, 1909 945,035 GoodhueJ an. 4, 1910 1,322,114 Jenkins Nov. 18, 1919 1,393,420 Ash et al. Oct.11, 1921 1,459,772 Kirsch June 26, 1923 2,033,905 Kingsley Mar. 10, 19362,667,257 Hurtado Jan. 26, 1954 2,853,175 Regentrop et a1. Sept. 23,1958 2,925,164 Murphy Feb. 16, 1960 2,982,208 Boyd May 2, 1961 FOREIGNPATENTS 653,751 Great Britain May 23, 1951 888.762 France Sept. 13, 1943

